related to my previous discussion on membership requirements for Tripoli certification, someone posed the challenge that I find a license or certification process that did not require renewal or "maintenance" feess
in response to that challenge, and also to acknowledge a request I made to Tripoli HQ for BoD minutes which was rebuffed, I did find an interesting contrast with another non-profit amateur/hobby organization as follows:
American Radio Relay League, Inc (ARRL)
here the "certification" involves a neglible fee for testing, membership is NOT required to obtain or maintain a license, and the license itself is free (ARRL VEC-coordinated Amateur Radio test sessions fee is $12, the Amateur License is exempt from FCC fees)
note also that organization "disclosures" are freely available online to the general public. For example:
Annual Reports
to contrast that with Tripoli
"certification" requires continuous membership at $70 the first year and $60 all subsequent years indefinitely
organization "disclosures" are limited to annual board minutes and reports only, available only to members by way of the Tripoli Report, but only for years of your membership. Prior years minutes are available only if the BoD deems the stated purpose "proper", and only then at the organizations headquarters in Orem, Utah during regular business hours, and photocopying is prohibited.
[ see the TRA HQ rebuff of my request atthis, despite the "Revised Model Nonprofit Corporation Act" stating that
- the following records must be made available to members
Section 16.01. Corporate Records
(e) A corporation shall keep a copy of the following records at its principal office:
(1) its articles or restated articles of incorporation and all amendments to them currently in effect; (2) its bylaws or restated bylaws and all amendments to them currently in effect; (3) resolutions adopted by its board of directors relating to the characteristics, qualifications, rights, limitations and obligations of members or any class or category of members; (4) the minutes of all meetings of members and records of all actions approved by the members for the past three years; (5) all written communications to members generally within the past three years, including the financial statements furnished for the past three years under section 16.20; (6) a list of the names and business or home addresses of its current directors and officers; and (7) its most recent annual report delivered to the secretary of state under section 16.22.
- that the members are entitled to make copies of these materials
Section 16.02. Inspection of Records by Members.
(a) Subject to subsection (e) and section 16.03(c), a member is entitled to inspect and copy, at a reasonable time and location specified by the corporation, any of the records of the corporation described in section
16.01(e) if the member gives the corporation written notice or a written demand at least five business days before the date on which the member wishes to inspect and copy.- that reasonable requests for photographic copies should be provided at reasonable cost
Section 16.03. Scope of Inspection Rights.
(b) The right to copy records under section 16.02 includes, if reasonable, the right to receive copies made by photographic, xerographic, or other means. (c) The corporation may impose a reasonable charge, covering the costs of labor and material, for copies of any documents provided to the member. The charge may not exceed the estimated cost of production or reproduction of the records.
- not that determination of what constitutes "reasonable" does NOT include the following
Section 16.02. Inspection of Records by Members (c)
(1) the member's demand is made in good faith and for a proper purpose; (2) the member describes with reasonable particularity the purpose and the records the member desires to inspect; and (3) the records are directly connected with this purpose.
which conditions do NOT apply to materials NOT found in Section 16.01. Corporate Records (e), above
[ also see Section 16.04. Court-Ordered Inspection ]references:
Subchapter A. Records
Revised Model Nonprofit Corporation Act (1987)
- iz